Addis Ababa: Ethiopia and Sudan have postponed addressing their ongoing border dispute as they grapple with internal challenges, including conflict. The longstanding issue, centered around the Al-Fashaga region in Sudan’s Gedaref State, involves over a million acres of fertile land and has significantly influenced the relationship between the two neighboring countries.
According to Nam News Network, the Al-Fashaga region has been a point of contention for decades, characterized by population overlaps, agricultural competition, and recurring violence. The dispute is fueled by differing legal interpretations, with Ethiopia challenging colonial-era agreements that it claims do not adequately reflect its interests. This disagreement has persisted for over a century, despite attempts to resolve it.
In the 1970s, Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri and Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie reached an agreement to demarcate the border according to the 1902 lines, but the deal was never fully implemented. Subsequent efforts through joint committees in the 1990s and early 2000s also failed to produce binding resolutions. Meanwhile, informal arrangements allowed Ethiopian farmers to cultivate land in Al-Fashaga, temporarily easing tensions but leaving the core dispute unresolved.
The outbreak of the Tigray war in Ethiopia in late 2020 provided an opportunity for Sudan’s military to reassert control over large portions of Al-Fashaga. This shift led to direct clashes between the two armies, bringing the border dispute to the forefront of Sudan-Ethiopia relations once again.
Al-Fashaga is economically significant, with potential to support Sudan’s agricultural output amid food insecurity caused by ongoing conflicts. For Ethiopia, particularly the Amhara farmers, the land is crucial for livelihoods, making the dispute about more than just sovereignty—it is about food security and survival for communities on both sides.
The border conflict is intertwined with broader regional dynamics, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Ethiopia sometimes uses the border issue as leverage in negotiations with Sudan, while Sudan reinforces its territorial claims to influence Nile water politics. Egypt also has a vested interest in the stability of the Sudan-Ethiopia border, as renewed conflict could exacerbate instability in the Horn of Africa.
Regional organizations, such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have attempted mediation, but their efforts have mainly resulted in calls for dialogue and de-escalation without achieving lasting resolution.
Amidst these geopolitical tensions, ordinary farmers remain the most affected. Their lives are caught in the crossfire, with harvests disrupted by violence, villages overshadowed by military checkpoints, and roads that once facilitated trade now functioning as lines of confrontation. For these communities, Al-Fashaga symbolizes a struggle for daily survival and dignity, rather than a mere diplomatic issue.
The complexity of the situation is further heightened by the presence of armed militias along the border, which often operate beyond the control of either government, contributing to instability and increasing the risk of sudden escalation.